DL New Years' Eve / Day

[Lorajo]

We will be in LA for a day or so before a cruise on Jan 2nd.

So.... we want to to DL on January 1st and maybe a bit on the 31st.

Anyone been on this holiday? How crazy is it? Will there be any point trying to do rides or do you have to mostly stick to the shows?

We will have a 2 year old with us so I can't imagine she could handle too many hour long waits. We will also be adjusting to a 4 hour time difference (from east coast) so we probably won't be able to stay up that late.

I wish we could go on a quieter day but this is when we will be there.

 

[disneychrista]

It is crazy busy on NYE. Be warned that they have been known to not allow new admissions by early afternoon and by this time many are already "parked" on Main Street awaiting the countdown. If you are not interested in "doing" the countdown, I would skip NYE and just go on the first.

 

[fairycat]

the 31st and 1st can be very busy. I do think that the very early part of the31st and 1st can be managable but by the afternoon, typically they have stopped selling DL tickets and by evening for DCA. Lines will be long, it will be crowded, it has gone from the quietest days to some of the craziest!!

 

[Lorajo]

Probably, because of the time change and flying all day, we probaby won't be out NYE - if so - just in the downtown dis. area I think.

So, we will pack it into the first.

We would also have a few hours on the 2nd but our cruise leaves that day so we couldn't make it a park day. Maybe a character bfast....

I'm disapointed that our only day will be so busy - but at least it is better than no disney this year at all!!

 

[Geeg]

I've been New Year's Eve (last year). It was crazy crazy busy. We got there afternoon, and we went knowing once we got there we were there for the rest of the day and night, and we vowed not to bother trying to get on rides, and just to relax and take it easy.

Well let me tell you, yes it was packed, but it was so much more fun and bearable that we imagined. I think everyone had the same attitude. We ended up riding loads of rides with short waits of about 20 minutes - Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain etc.

There was so much going on and every one else seemed to have the same relaxed attitude, people geared up for a packed and long day.

I would recommend anyone goes, as long as they just take their time. It really was a great atmosphere. I would do it again.

 

[disneydawn6]

I have been to WDW for the last 7 years on NYE but never DL. Is it similar? Has anyone done both? My daughter is expecting in mid December so WDW was scraped this year. But being from CA anyway I plan on getting away a couple days for DL instead. Do they let people staying at a DL hotel entrance even when it is full???

 

[dizzymomx4]

The park does close early due to capacity but I agree it is a very fun filled event. There are stations throughout the park that passes out hats and noise makers for the countdown. Main Street is horrible and packed but if you go expecting long lines and lots of people it is a great way to ring in the new year!

 

[PinkBudgie]

We were there last year on NY Day and the day after that. (Did not go on NYE) I have never seen the park so crowded as those days. NYD uncrowded morning lasted a bit longer than on the 2nd, but it still got crowded pretty fast. You couldn't see the ground in front of you while you walked. The ticket booth lines went way out in to the area between both parks. And everyone, even APs, had to get handstamps. Even the Blue Sky Celler in DCA had a long line waiting to get in. I've never seen that before!

It was not a block out day for APs which was why we went- we had APs. We figured a lot of people must have gotten APs for Christmas because there was about an hour wait to get in to the bank to process the APs. I noticed this year that Jan 1 & 2 are block out day for all APs that have block out days. Maybe that will help it be less crowded. I would be intereseted to hear how it is.

I do have to throw in that with all those crowds, we were able to go to Whitewater Snacks in the CGH and find a table at lunch hour. At first we thought we would have to sit at the outside tables (they have outdoor heaters) but then a bunch of tables inside opened up and we went in. That was probably the most people I have ever seen in there, and even that wasn't bad at all compared to other places to eat on a normal day.

 

[disneychrista]

Do they let people staying at a DL hotel entrance even when it is full???

There are several stages of closure.
1. They stop selling new park admission
2. They stop lettin in new enterance, if you have been in the park earlier you can get back in.
3. They stop admitted anyone until enough people have left to allow enterance.

I think there is a level where hotel guests are the only ones allowed entry between stoping new and stoping all admissions.

 

[disneychrista]

There were rumors last year that they may make NYE a hard ticket event. Meaning that they will close the park say at 6pm and only allow those with a special ticket enterance, simular to the ToT even at DCA. Of course this is just rumor.

 

[Grumpy~N~Dopey]

We have been there for the past 6 years for both NYE and the 1st. It is very very very busy in Disneyland on NYE, but this past year we stayed in CA and it was soooooo nice and slow. we were able to see some fireworks(it was very foggy otherwise we could of seen them fine) but there are other stages and dance things going on in CA. we were even able to ride toy story mania like 10 times... there were no lines. in all the years before that we stayed in DL and it was miserably busy. one year we were in front of the castle and you could not move!! it was like being pushed to the front at a rock concert.
If you do go, I would highly recommend CA!

 

[tinkerbelt]

There were rumors last year that they may make NYE a hard ticket event. Meaning that they will close the park say at 6pm and only allow those with a special ticket enterance, simular to the ToT even at DCA. Of course this is just rumor.

That's how they used to do NYE, and it was really great. They would also bring in musical acts and have concerts and stuff in the park. I wish they would go back to that!

 

[disneychrista]

we were able to see some fireworks(it was very foggy otherwise we could of seen them fine) !

We were on Main Street (half was between castle & train station) and we could barely see them.